This kind of commodities storing apparatus of a vending machine generally has a large number of vertically arranged commodities storing shelves and is positioned close to a commodity passage so that commodities placed horizontally on each commodities storing shelf may roll along a commodities storing path. (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-11479.) A commodities transport device is disposed at the front of the commodities storing path and has an arm for locking the front commodity on the commodities storing shelf.
An example of a conventional commodities storing apparatus of a vending machine having the above-described construction will be described below.
In the body of the vending machine, there is provided a plurality of vertically arranged commodities storing shelves each having commodities storing paths. A commodities transport device is provided at a commodities feed-out port of each commodities storing path of the commodities storing shelf. In the commodities storing apparatus, a first locking claw projects from the lower end of a commodities placing surface, the lower portion of which is inclined to prevent the drop of commodities. In supplying or selling the commodities, the first locking claw is moved downward from the commodities placing surface to drop the leading commodity due to its own weight.
At this time, simultaneously with the retreat of the first locking claw, a second locking claw is projected at a position rearward from the first locking claw to prevent successive drop of the commodities placed rearward of the leading one. In the vending machine accommodating a commodities take-out device having the above-described construction, the user's hand is put into a commodities take-out port positioned on the lower side of the machine body to take out the commodity fed out thereto.
According to Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-52548, the commodities take-out device having a construction similar to the above-described one is provided at the rear end of each commodities placing shelf. Upon actuation of the commodities take-out device, a commodity is sent out from the rear end of the commodities placing shelf and falls through a commodities falling path positioned on the rear side of the machine. The commodity is eventually sent to a commodities take-out port defined in a front lower portion of the machine body through a frontwardly inclined guide path formed at the lower portion of the machine body.
According to Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-28555, a first stopper of the commodities feed-out device is positioned at the front of the commodities placing shelf sloping down to the front. The vertical surface of the body of the first stopper which contacts a first commodity is pivotal at its lower end. A second stopper for preventing other commodities from moving forward is provided in the space between the first commodity and the second commodity. When the first stopper body pivots, the above space is widened to allow the commodity to be taken out.
According to Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-361007, the commodities storing apparatus comprises an L-shaped movable plate slidably mounted on a rear portion of the sliding surface of a commodities path and a spiral spring is rotatably mounted rearward of the movable plate. The spiral spring is pulled along a groove of the sliding surface of the commodities path, and one end of the spiral spring is fixed to the exit of the commodities storing path so as to move commodities by sliding the commodities on the sliding surface.
In the commodities storing apparatus having the above-described construction, however, looking at samples displayed in the vending machine, a user presses a selection button to buy a commodity. Therefore, the samples are required to have the same appearance in shape and color as the commodities. It is also necessary to prepare the same number of samples as the number of kinds of the commodities. Further, it takes much time and labor to make the samples and hence it is costly to manufacture the vending machine.
The commodities feed-out device is provided for each commodities storing path. When the vending machine has a plurality of commodities storing shelves in both the longitudinal and widthwise directions of the vending machine, the vending machine becomes large and cannot efficiently accommodate a large number of commodities. Generally, paper containers or the like are fed out by a conveyor feeding mechanism which is driven by a driving motor. In this construction, many component parts are required, resulting in a complex construction. Thus, the productivity of the vending machine having such a construction is low and hence the vending machine is costly.